Weft replenishing loom



NOV. 28, 1944. w PATTERSON 2,363,620

WEF'I REPLENISHING LOOM Filed Dec. 22, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 'Wa#er 4. Pawfersorr ,WIDM

\ ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1944.

W. A. PATTERSON WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed Dec. 22, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 28, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEFT REPLENISHING LooM, Walter A. Patterson, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 22, 1943, Serial Ida/515,203

16 clai s. (01.i139-232) H This invention relatesto improvements in weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a loom wherein a shuttle can be replenished with bobbins drawn from a plurality of stacks of bobbins.

In prior Patent No. 2,312,146 issued to Brouwer and myself there is shown afour-cell magazine adapted for the replenishment of two shuttles. The stacks and their bobbin releasers are arranged in pairs, one pair forone shuttle and another pair for the other shuttle, and each pair is associated with a lever which is rocked when one or another of the corresponding releasers is raised. Rocking of this lever operates withother mechanism to cause an alternation in the order in which bobbins are drawn from the stacks of the pair. l r

In magazines of the type to which my invenP thatit can rock the aforesaidleverupon descent of the releaser. In this way it'is not necessary to add any additional moving part' to the releaser and the spring on the releaser which controls tion more particularly relates the bobbin releaser is raised by the rocking of a selector when a depleted shuttle is at the magazine end of the loom. The shuttle is then picked to the opposite side of the loom and if itgoes out of action there will be a corresponding shift of the selector so that the latter will not register. with the previously raised releasen; Upon return to action of the depleted shutt1e, however, the selector will register with the raised releaser and the latter will be depressed todeliver a bobbin from the associated stack. In the patent mentioned the lever is rocked by up motion of the releaser and therefore at a time prior to the movement of the selector which lowers the releaser. for bobbin delivery. In order to take account of the lapse in time between the. rising and falling of the releaser, the previously mentioned patent uses pivoted lugs on the releasers and also a broadened finger on the selector capable of engaging two depressing releaser lugs at the same time. This broadened finger, however, interferes with operation of the magazine in its more usual setting for the reilar to that shown .in the aforesaid patent but rock it, on the downward motion ofa releaser. By this arrangement anymechanism which alters the registry of the selectorwiththereleas- 'ers will not be brought into action until after the selector has been able to return to registry with a releaser-which it'previously raised and the usual type of finger on the selector can be employed. y

The bobbin releaser for the ordinary stationary magazine is provided with a dog normally idle but moving to operating position when the releaser rises and then acting upon ,descent of the releaser to rock a shaftto set the magazine for transfer. It is another, object .of. my. prescnt invention to modify the dog in such a way the new ashelf or extended arm which ordinarily lies above the bottom of the dog when the releaser is down.

As the releaser rises the'dog tends to move toward operative position but is restrainedfrom,

doing so. by the shelf until the releaser nearsthe ,upper end of, its movement. It is another object of my present invention to provide the dog with ahook extension which in itsupward movement with the releaseris held. away from the aforesaid rocking lever due to engagement of In the accompanying drawings, wherein a con} venientembodiment of my invention, is set forth,

Fig. 1. is aside elevation of a four-cell station: ary magazine as seen from the center of the loom and provided with, my invention,

Fig. 2is a vertical section on line 2-4101 Fig.1, 6

Fig.3 isa diagrammatic. view showing the relation of the shuttle boxes, lay and selector used with my invention,

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged side :VieWs of those parts of the invention shownin Fig. I which effect alternate delivery of bobbins from the two pairs of stacks, 9 l Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the relationshipbetween the bobbin releaser, its dog, thesetting shelf; an the rocking lever when the releaser is down, 6, i

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the relationship "asit exists whenthe releaser is at or near the upper end of its movement, 6

Fig. 8 is an enlargedvertical section on line 8+8 of Fig.4, showing the friction device by which the rocking lever is held in the two positions to which it is moved, and l Fig. 9 is a detailedfront elevation of the front stop member.

Referring to Figs. 1. and 3, the loom frame 10' supports a four-stack stationary magazine M over the lay L having a gang G of shuttle boxes t; the left end and a, single box B under the 2+ stack i I being at the front ofthe magazine. Each stack has associated therewith a bobbin releaser or vertical slide, thesereleasers. being indicated at I5, l6, Hand [8. The bottom of each releaser cooperates with a cradle H! which rocks in one direction to receive a bobbin from the associated stack and then rocks in the opposite direction to discharge the bobbin so that it can move to transfer position under a transfer arm 20.

I pin 33 is moved forwardly out of the path of lever 3| as the rod head'32 descends and the rod and selector remain stationary. If, on the other hand, the detector indicates weft exhaustion the pin 33 remains in the path of lever 3| and upon descent of head 32 the rod 30 is pulled down to rock the selector in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, thereby raising its fingers 24 and 25. This rocking of the selector occurs only when the detector indicates weft exhaustion. At some time during the followingpick of the loom, preferably after the shuttle gang G has completed its shift. rod head 32 rises and acts through lever 3| to give an upward thrust to rod "30 for the purpose of rocking the selector 2| in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 to depress the fingers 24 and 25. This last named rocking of the selector occur every other pick of the loom.

In addition to the rocking movement already described the selector also has longitudinal movements imparted to it by mechanism connected in one way or another to move in timed relation with the gang of "shuttle boxes G shown in Fig. 3. This gang has top and bottom box cells 35 and 36, respectively,-for shuttles S and S respectively.

Bymechanism not shown but well understood the boxes are shifted with respect to the shuttle race 31 on the lay L. In a convenient manner of operating the loom to take advantage of my invention shuttle S will be active for two consecutive picks and will then move to inactive position while shuttle S is active for two picks, after which shuttle S will return to action for another pair of picks,*etc.' 1

- As .shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, a connector l'fl is attached to the gang G and leads across the loom to the magazine side and then upwardly for attachment to lever 4| mounted on a' pivot 42 fixed to the magazine frame. An upright arm 43 of lever 4| "engages a collar 44 on the rod 22 and is the means by which longitudinal motion is imparted to the selector 2|. A spring 45 connected at one end to lever 4| and at the other end to a fixed part of the magazine exerts a force tending to turn the lever in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 and move the selector 2| to its frontmost position. The selector is of the usual type and its two fingers .24 and 25 are capable of cooperating with.=the'releasers one at a time firstto raise and then lower them as already described, the selection thus connector 40 and partly to mechanism to be described.

The top part of the magazine has a rock shaft I provided with a shelf 5| which extends toward the releasers. A lever 52 on shaft 50 is connected to a depending rod 53 by means of whicha trans fer latch 54 is raised'in the path of the lay carried transfer bunter' 55 when shaft 50 is turned in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. A second arm also secured to shaft 50 is attached to a depending rod 5| connected to the shuttle position detector 52 conveniently pivoted on the magazine. vWhen shelf 5| moves to rock shaft 50 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 it effects setting of the magazine for a replenishing operation by moving the transfer latch totransfer position and lifting rod 6| to move the shuttle position detector 62 rearwardly toward the lay L.

Because of the function .ofshelf 5| just described it maybe considered as constituting a setting member for the magazine.

Under normal conditions the shelf 5| is raised as shown in Fig. 2. The shelf is depressed-[by means carried by the releasers, each releasertfor this purpose. having a dog .65 pivoted at 66 to the associated releaser and having a foot 61 to receive the downward thrust of a small compression spring 68 extending from a head 69 at the upper end of :the releaser. The foot 61 moves-vertically through a slot 70 in the magazine frame F and the bottom of slot 10 engages the foot '6"! during descent of the releaser to rock the dog away from shaft 5i) .and shelf 5I, but when the releaser'rises the foot 61 moves away from the bottom of the slot to and spring 68 tends to turn dogtoward the shaft 50.

Fig. .6 shows :the normal relation ,of the dog 65 and the shelf 5|,from which it'will be seenthat the bottom of the dog extends considerably below the shelf and is held in :idle or inactive position. As-the releaser rises the spring 68 forces the dog 65 against the shelf 5| until the bottom of the dog reaches the top .of shelf 5|, see full lines Fig. 7,

afterwhich continued upward movement of the releaser permits the spring 68 to project the dog 65 to its working position where it overhangs the shelf 5|, as shown'in dotted lines in Fig. "I. Thereafter, upon descent of the rel'easer the! dog 65 engages the shelf and rocks shaft 50 in .a clockwise direction, Fig. 2, for purposes already described. On the forward beat of the lay :accompanying transfer the shuttle position detector .62 is struck and moved forwardly by'the layxto exert a downward pull through rod J6| on arm 60 to rock shaft 56 and shelf 5| back to the normal full line position shown in Fig. 6.

The matter thus far described except as in.- dicated hereinafter is of'common construction and operates in the usual manner. For further understanding of the mechanism reference may be "had to prior Patent No. 1,030,748. As a matter of practical convenience to insure correct movement on the part of the releasers each of the latter is provided with a wedge 13 to cooperate with a spring plunger 14 as described in patent to Chevrette No. 1,510,765. Also, each releaser has a 'top' lug 75130 be raised by one or another of the fingers 24 and '25 and-has also a tles I assign the front pair of stacks If andxtz occurring with respect to either pair will draw bobbins alternately from the stacks of that pair. For an understanding of this mechanism reference may be had moreparticularly to. Figs. 1 and 3 to 6. Since. these mechanisms, one for each pair of stacks,are very similar I will give a detailed description of one of them and then indicate the differences which exist between it and the mechanism for the other pair of stacks.

Pivoted to the upper forward part of the magazine is a stop controllin lever 80 having front and back arms 8| and 82, respectively, each having its upper edge concave as at 03. ,The stud 84 on which the lever is pivoted is surrounded by a short compression spring 85, see Fig. 8, located between the head of the stud and the lever and serving to exert a frictional force on the lever tending to hold it on the magazine frame in any to return to its extreme forward position under action of spring itwill be engaged by the stop and held in such position as to cause its finger 24 to register with releaser I6. The stop 89 during this actio is held against movement to the right as'viewed lin Fig. 3 by bearing I on the magazine framethrough which the rod 22 slides.

The next time shuttle- S is replenished slide I6 will rise and its hook 96 will effect down motion of arm 82 to effect reverse motion of the lever- 80 for the purpose of lifting the stop 89 out of the path of the selector. The latter is therefore free to register with re1easer|5 when shuttle S returns to box 3.. In this way the stacks Hand 0 receiving theIupper slotted end N9 of a dependposition to which it is moved. Extending from arm BI is a rod 86 which'receives the upper slotted end 81 of 2. depending rod 88 the lower tively. These hooks have heads 9'! adapted to enter the concaveupper edges of the corresponding arms of lever 80, hook 95 cooperating with arm 8| and hook 96 cooperating with arm 82.

Considering transferring operations involving the front pair of stacks, and assuming that arm 8| is in high position so'that stop 89 has its stop element 9| above casting 23, and further assuming that shuttle Sis active, spring 45 will move the selector 2| to its extreme forward position with finger 24 in register'with releaser II. At this time the releasers aredown, but if shuttle S should indicate exhaustion of weft upon arrival under the magazine the selector will be rocked and raised releaser I5 as already described. The head 9'! is ordinarily below the lever arm with ,which it will cooperate, and as the releaser I5 rises the head 9'Iwill have a slight motion toward arm 8| until dog engages shelf 5|. The head 91 therefore rises without engaging arm 8|, the lower end of its hook rising to an elevation above arm 8|, see full lines Fig. 7, before the bottom of dog 65 is projected to working position by spring 68 due to the fact that shelf 5| is acting temporarily as astop for the dog 65. When this latter movementof the dog occurs the head 91 moves over the arm 8!, moving from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 7. Shuttle S is then picked to the opposite side of the loom, and the gang G shifts to move the selector 2| rearwardly. Upon return of shuttle S to activ- -will rock lever in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4, thus lowering rod 86 and per mitting the stop 89 to fall on casting 23. When the replenished shuttle S again reaches the gang G and the latter shifts, the selector 2| will again I be moved rearwardly. whereupon the stop element 91 will have a further falling movement in the path of the selector and when the latterattempts ing rod III similarwto rod 88 and having connected at the lower end thereof a stop I I2 having arms 3 to straddle shaft 22 and having also a stop element M4 for engagement with the rear end of casting 23. A second bearing 1 I5 for shaft 22 limits movement of the stop I I2 to the left as viewed in Fig. 1.

The dogs of releasers .I'l and ,I8 are provided with hooks|20 and |2|, respectively, similar to' hooks 95 and 96 and eachhaving a head 91'. These hooks and heads are formed as parts of the shelf engaging dogs on the rear pair of re- G is up at this time, the downward pullof con-.

nector 40 against the action of spring 45 will move. the selector to its extreme rear position with finger 25 in register withreleaser |8. When i indicationof weft exhaustion is given by shuttle S? the rearmost releaser willrise and upon descent its hook I2I will rock lever I05 in a clockwise direction asviewed in Fig. 5 to effect down motion of the stop 2.. When the selector 2| moves forwardly incident to a shift of gang G when shuttle S enters box 36, stop element I |4 will fall in alignment withcasting 23 and. bearing I I5." Upon return to action of shuttles a downward pull on connector 40 moves the ,selector rearwardly until it engages stop element I I4 with finger 25 in register with releaser II. After this engagement, however, the gang G continues to move and it is necessary to provide a yielding element between the gang and the selector. For this purpose I prefer to use a spring I25 in connector 40 stronger than spring 45. Ordinarily this spring I25 is strong enough to move the selector rearwardly against the action of spring.

45, but as the gangof shuttle boxes continues to move subsequent to arresting of the selector by stop ||2, spring I25 will expand topermit finger 25 to remain registered with releaser IT.

The next time shuttle S is replenished the hook I20 will engage arm I06 to lower the latter and simultaneously raise the stop II2 to nonstopping position to permit the selector 2| to move to its rearmost position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple mechanism by which each of two shuttles can be replenished from bobbins drawn from a pair of stacks and that successive drawings of bobbins from any, pair involve the stacks of the pair alternately; In lthisway the stacks of the pair become depleted uniformly and the full capacity of the magazine can :be utilized for replenishment of theshuttles. It will also be seen that the alternation in the order in which the bobbins are released is effected by an upward extension from the'ordinary shelf depressingdog on the releasers, thereby making unnecessary a second moving part on the releasers for accomplishing this result. Also, the shelf 5| which acts as'a setting member to set the magazine for transfer, serves as a stop for the dog 65 and its hook during the greater part of the upward motion of the associated releaser and the head 9'! rises to a level above the arm of the'rockin'g lever with which it is to cooperate before the dog is free from the shelf. Furthermore, it will be :seen that I have provided a novel form ofbobbin releaser to the upper end of which is pivoted a member part of which is the usual dog "and another part of which cooperates with the rocking lever to effect delivery of bobbins alternately from the associated pair of stacks. The levers 80 and I05 and their stops 89 and llZ, respectively, may be considered as controlm'echamisms for the selector, while the levers are controllers for their respective stops.

\ Having thus described my invention it will'be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but whatI claim is:

1. In 'a bobbin releaser for a we'ft replenishing loom having a magazine settingmember and a stack selector stop operating member, an element movably mounted on said releaser having a part for cooperation withthe settin member and having a second part for cooperation with the stop operating member, and resilient means carried by said releaser tending to move saidfparts toward positions for cooperation with. their respedtive members.

2. In a bobbin releaser fora weft replenishing "loom having a magazine settingmember and a stack selector stop operating member, "a spring carried by said releaser, and a three armed element pivoted on said releaser, one arm for said setting member and the'second arm, for.said stop operating member and the third arm cooperating with said spring to move the first and second arms toward positions for cooperation with their respective members.

a bobbin stack selector stop operating means,

said releaser comprising-,a body provided with an element having a depending dog for the setting member and a hookfor the bobbin stack selector 'stop operating means extending upwardly from the dog, a pivotal connection between said body and element intermediate said dog and hook, and

aeeacao.

a'spring carried by the 'bOdy tending to move the element around said pivotal connection.

'5. A weft replenishing mechanism bobbin .-r.e-

leaser for cooperation with a setting member and a bobbin stack selector stop operating means, said releaser being provided'w'ith a pivot, an element mounted for angular movement on said pivot having a dog on one side of said pivot for the setting member and a hook on the opposite side of said pivotfor the bobbin stack selector stop operating means, and a spring carried by the releaser tending to turn the element around said pivot.

6. A weft replenishing mechanism bobbin releaser for cooperation with a setting member and'a bobbin stack selector stop operating means, said releaser'carrying a spring and an element pivoted on said releaser engaging said spring and havinga dog for the setting member and a 'hook on the ,dog for. the bobbin stack selector stop operatingmeans. v v

7. An operating unit for thetsetting member and bobbin stackselector stop mechanism or a weft replenishing magazine, said unit having a dog for the setting member and a hook for the stop mechanism.

-8. An operating unit for the setting membe and bobbin stack selector stop mechanism of a weft replenishing magazina'said innit having a bearing for pivotal support thereof, a dog for the setting member on said unit on one side of said bearing, and a hook for said .stop mechanism on said unit on the opposite :side :of said bearing.

9. An operating unit f'or'the setting member and bobbin stack selector stop mechanism of a weft replenishing magazine, said unit having a bearing for pivotal support thereof, .andthree arms radiating from said bearing, one arm being a dog for said setting member, the second arm being a hook for said stop mechanism, and the third arm being means forturning the unit about the bearing. I

l0. An operating unit for a bobbin'releaser having a spring and adapted for use on a weft replenishing magazine having a setting member and a bobbin stack selector stop mechanism, said unit comprising a dog for said setting member, a hook for said stop mechanism, and an arm for said spring.

11. In a weft replenishing loom having a setting member movable from normal to setting position to set the loom .for a replenishing operreplenishing operation involving the releaser, a

controller for said stop controlhig -the position thereof to determine with which releaser the selector shall register, an operating elementmovably mounted on each releaser and having-:a-dog and a hook thereon, and a spring on each releaser tending to 'turnthe corresponding element .in a direction to move the dog toward saidsetting member and move the hook toward said "con- 'troller, each spring during the initial movement of the associated releaser moving the corresponding-dog against said setting member to hold the hook spaced from the controller the'releaser nears the end of the initial movement thereof, whereupon the spring moves the dog over the setting member and moves the hook over said controller, the releaser when having the return movement thereof causing the dog to move the setting member to setting position and causing the hook to operate said controller.

12. In a weft replenishing loom having a setting member movable from normal to settin position to set the loom for a replenishing operation, the loom operating with a selector under control of a stop and moving into register with a plurality of bobbin stacks, one at a time, depending upon the position of the stop, a bobbin releaser for one of saidstacks having an initial movement from normal to indicated position and 1 a subsequent return movement from indicated. to

normal position incident to a replenishing oper- I ation involving bobbins drawn from said one stack, a controller for said stop controlling the position thereof to determine with which stack said selector shall register, an operating member pivoted on said releaser and having an element to operate said setting member and a second ele- 3 ment thereon to operate said controller, and a spring on the releaser tending to turn the memher to move the first element toward said setting member and move the second element toward said controller, said setting member engaging the first element during the greater part of the initial movement of said releaser to cause the second element to move along a path spaced from said controller, the last part of the initial movement of the releaser moving the first element out of engagement with the setting member, whereupon the spring moves said first element into operating position relatively to the setting member and moves the second element into operating position I relatively to the controller, the releaser on the return movement thereof causing thefirst element to move the setting member to setting position and causing the second member to operate said controller.

13. In a weft replenishing loom having stacks part of the initial movement of said releaser causing said element to move along a path spaced from said controller, said member moving beyond said means as the releaser nears the end of the initial movement thereof and the spring cident to a replenishing operation of the mechanism, a pivoted element on said releaser having a hook for said lever, means tending to move the hook toward said lever, and ,a stop for said element eifectiveduring the greater part of the initial movement of said releaser to cause the hook to traverse a path laterally displaced from said lever, the releaser upon completionof the initial movement thereof moving said element away from said stop, whereupon said means move the hook laterally of said path into operating position with respect to the lever, and the releaser on the return movement thereof causing said hook to engage and rocksaid lever for the operation of said control mechanism.

15. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a frame supporting a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins, said mechanism having aselector movable into register with said stacks, one at a time, control mechanism including a lever pivvoted on saidframe to determine with which stack said selector shall register, a bobbin releaser for one of said stacks having, arising and a subsequent descending movement incident to a replenishing operation involving said one stack, an element pivoted on said releaser having a hook for said lever, a resilient device tending to move the hook toward said lever, and a stop for said element to prevent movement of the latter by said resilient device, said stop cooperating with said element during the first part of the rising movement of said releaser, to cause the hook to move along a path laterally displaced from said lever and said releaser during the latter part thereupon moving the operating element laterally of said path into operating position with respect to the controller, said releaser on the return movement thereof causing said element to,

operate the controller. 7 i l 14. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a frame supporting a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins, theloom having a selector to register with said stacks, one at a time, a selector control mechanism including a lever pivoted on said frame to determine with which stack said selector shall register, a bobbin releaser having an initial and a subsequent return movement inofthe rising movement thereof moving said element out of engagement with said stop'after said hook has been moved to a level above the level of the lever, whereupon said resilient device moves the hook over the lever, and the releaser during the descending movement thereof causing said hook to engage and rock said lever to operate said control mechanism. i

, 16. In a weft replenishing mechanism having stacks of reserve bobbins and operating with a setting member movable to set the mechanism for a replenishing operation and having a selector moving into register with said stacks, one at a time, positioning mechanism for said selector including a control member and operative when the latter moves to determine with which stack said selector shall register, a bobbin releaserfor one of said stacks having initial and return movements incident to a replenishing operation involving said one stack, movable means on said releaser having an operating element for said setting member and a second operating element for said control member, and resilient means on said releaser tending to move each element toward operative position relatively to the corresponding member, said setting member engaging the operating element thereof during the first part of the initial movement of said releaser to prevent said resilient means from moving the second operating element into operating relation with the control member, said releaser during the latter part of the initial movement thereof moving said first operating element out of engagement with said setting member, whereupon said resilient member moves each operating element into position for operation of the member corresponding thereto, and said releaser on the return movement thereof causing operation of each member by the element, corresponding thereto.

WALTER arnrrnason. 

